Life Takes Wings

“A true story of a woman’s drive and intensity, told with humility, grace and humor. Life Takes Wings is a great American flying story.” —Deborah Douglas, author of American Women and Flight

In Life Takes Wings, Captain Lynn Rippelmeyer soars with inspiration from a starry-eyed farm girl gazing at the sky to flight attendant to first female pilot of the revolutionary Boeing 747.
More than just a story of one woman’s love affair with the skies, Life Takes Wings combines lessons in tenacity, humility, humor, perseverance, and partnership with the exhilaration of defying social norms, and the rewards of being true to oneself. Inspired to become a commercial airline pilot in an age when it was not an option for girls, serendipitous relationships lead Lynn to her first flying lessons in a seaplane, then to becoming flight instructor and charter pilot while also working as a flight attendant. Perceived as being incapable of flying, women were relegated to the cabin. Ignoring the pilots’ negative comments, Lynn became a number of aviation’s female firsts—member of first all-female commercial airline crew, first flight attendant-to-pilot, and first female pilot of the Boeing 747. Through laughter and tears, Life Takes Wings shows the sky is no limit for those who follow their dreams.

“Captain Rippelmeyer’s book is one of the best chronicles of a flying life that I have ever read. She meets turbulence with determination and fortitude, but with a positive approach and a marvelous sense of humor, which seems to be rare these days.” —Jacqueline Boyd, PhD, chair, Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund and 99s 2020 recipient of the Award of Achievement for Contributions to Aviation